Identifying key signs of small bowel strangulation improves diagnosis

Findings indicate that mesenteric edema and abnormal bowel wall thickening serve as sensitive and specific indicators for both non-necrotic and necrotic small bowel strangulation (SBS). In a study involving 141 SBS patients, these indicators were significantly less frequent in cases of simple bowel obstruction. Notably, bowel hypo-enhancement was present in only half of the non-necrotic SBS cases, suggesting that detecting intestinal congestion is crucial for accurate diagnosis, especially when hypo-enhancement is absent.